Working Group Tackles Incubator Challenge
Category Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Waste Management
On Tuesday, September 7, we met with CleanTech industry leaders, real estate professionals, and architects at the Institute for Human Centered Design to discuss the development of a CleanTech Incubator in the Innovation District.
Brent Larlee discusses incubator branding
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino called upon the BRA’s GreenTech initiative to create a cleantech incubator, following a meeting with a dozen cleantech CEOs in June. The City of Boston Cleantech Incubator is dedicated to accelerating the development and commercialization of Cleantech technologies, fostering innovation and strengthening job creation capacity within the industry, while amplifying the profile and brand of Cleantech in Boston.
Jim Hunt, the Mayor’s Energy and Environmental Services Cabinet Chief who participated in the discussion noted that “the mission behind the incubator dovetails nicely with the city’s sustainability and economic development goals.”
Often considered a component of successful industry cluster development strategies, incubators provide space for start-ups to grow, thrive, prototype, and perfect product and service designs by offering low cost (in some cases free) space in combination with a mix of additional features including access to professional services, lab space, or funding. Harder to quantify, but often linked with incubators, are the opportunities and environment they provide for creative interaction and cross pollination between occupants and even across disciplines. Incubator sponsors (governmental, academic, private sector) are motivated by the potential for industry specific localized economic development, or “clustering” (incubator “graduates” become attached and find space nearby), branding, and, in some cases equity.
Galen Nelson, Greentech Business Manager at the BRA, who has been tasked with spearheading development of the incubator, added “the Boston cleantech incubator will be part of a growing network of similar incubators state wide and complement an array of policy and program initiatives at the City level that boost market conditions for cleantech company growth.”
Tuesday’s discussion focused on the competitive advantages incubators offer cleantech startup companies, incubator management, function and ancillary service options, and possible strategic partnerships and funding opportunities. The group also struggled with the potential breadth of a cleantech incubator acknowledging that the industry has several diverse sectors, anchored by clean energy, that draw on multiple disciplines and require an array of facilities, equipment, and space configurations.
Participants included:
Dave Bergeron – T3 Advisors
Chris Bevacqua – General Electric
Jim Bowen – Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Eric Graham – Fraunhofer Institute Center for Sustainable Energy
Brent Larlee – Waihaka Strategies
Michael LeBlanc – Utile, Inc.
Jhana Senxian – Sustainability Guild
Matthew Silver – IntAct Labs
David Silverman – map-lab,Inc.
Deb Stevens – Stevens Group
Steve Taub – General Electric
BRA/City Staff
Jim Hunt, Chief, Energy and Environmental Services, City of Boston
Galen Nelson, GreenTech Business Manager, Boston Redevelopment Authority
Lisa Hemmerle, Economic Initiatives, Boston Redevelopment Authority
Samantha Hammar, Economic Initiatives, Boston Redevelopment Authority
Dr. Hans-Peter Meister, Wilson Rickerson, and Neil Veilleux of Meister Consulting Group generously provided moderation services to the group.
Over the next 3 months, the group will reach consensus on a vision for the incubator and begin to seek strategic partners and funders. Please stay tuned and contact Galen Nelson if you want to get involved.
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